This invention relates to a speaker assembly, and more particularly it relates to an improved assembly for a tabletop or desk mounted speaker that may be used to reproduce telecommunication sound from teleconferencing systems and the like.
Conventional speakers and other sound generating devices used in speaker systems or assemblies normally produce a sound directed principally in a single direction. Typically, economical speakers have a sound drive mechanism or "cone," wherein sound is generated through the open concave or front portion (the "drive" side) of the cone and is restricted in its transmission from the rear of the cone. Sound quality and response is therefore optimum when a listener is positioned at the concave open side of the speaker. Telephone conferencing systems often employ a single speaker to provide sound to all conference participants in a single room. In some circumstances, such as a teleconference occuring with several participants in a board room, the speaker is preferably centered on a table, desk or other horizontal surface between the participants. Such tabletop speakers ideally should be adapted to produce uniform quality response radially about the speaker's position, so that each participant to the conversation who is seated about the table or desk will hear equal high sound quality.
Accordingly, when conventional speakers are used on tabletops, they may be positioned with the drive side of the speaker oriented vertically and directed to drive sound either upward from the table or downward to that surface. Upward direction of a sound in a vertically oriented economical speaker can result in principal direction of the sound toward the room's ceiling. Because teleconferencing listeners typically sit at approximately the same height, or a slightly higher height, than that of the speaker assembly, upward direction of the sound can require operation of the speaker at an unnecessarily loud volume to provide adequate dispersion of room filling sound at the listener level. Optimally, the sound generated by a tabletop speaker should have its best response occur radially about the speaker at positions approximately thirty degrees above the table.
To efficiently operate the speaker, and to eliminate the need for excess volume, conventional cone speakers may be vertically oriented with the drive side of the speaker directed downward. In this arrangement, sound reflects from the table, desk, or other surface with equal volume and response radially in all directions from the speaker to the listeners. However, while such an orientation eliminates volume adjustment problems, other problems such as destructive and additive interference of the sound waves can result; such interference results because the sound travels to the listeners not only in a direct path from the speaker, but in a reflected path from the horizontal surface toward which the sound is principally directed.
Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a speaker assembly for use in a telecommunication or teleconferencing system.
Another object of this invention is to provide a speaker assembly that can produce sound that is uniform in volume and response radially about the assembly when the assembly is placed on a flat horizontal surface, such as a table or a desk.
A further object of this invention is to provide a speaker assembly for a teleconferencing system that does not require excessive volume for adequate sound dispersion to listeners who are positioned around the assembly and slightly higher than the assembly's location.
Another object of this invention is to provide a speaker assembly for use on a horizontal surface such as a table or desk that does not produce destructive or additive interference in the sound waves between the sound following the direct and reflected paths from the speaker to the listener.
These and other objects of the invention are accomplished by providing a speaker assembly for use on a desk, table, or other flat surface capable of directing sounds in all directions from a speaker. The assembly comprises a speaker supported above a generally conical circular base having an acoustically reflective surface angled away from the speaker. Sound exits from the assembly at substantially the level of the table or other surface upon which the assembly rests. A cover or cabinet is mounted above and surrounding the rear of the speaker, and the speaker is attached to the assembly by a support plate attached to the cover. The height of the interior of the cover is approximately the same as the height of the speaker. A plurality of bushings connect the support plate to the base. In the preferred embodiment, the conical base has a truncated upper portion, preferably formed as an inverted conical concavity concentric with the base.